In past programming I offered a long series of operas of the French baroque\, as recordings of them became available. The great innovator of French baroque opera was not a Frenchman by birth\, but an Italian from Florence whose name originally was Giovanni Battista Lulli\, francophied into Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-87).

This will be the fourth time over a span of more than two decades when I will be presenting Richard Strauss'\; Elektra (1909)\, his operatic take on the ancient Greek tragedy\, derived ultimately from Sophocles'\; drama\, reworked by Hugo von Hofmannsthal into a German language play in 1903.

This week on&nbsp\;New World Notes\: radio program #258\, February 12\, 2013\, from 12\:00 to 12\:30 p.m.\, host Kenneth Dowst offers some reflections on the anti-GMO\: local produce--now but a fond memory here in New England. Then he looks at GMOs--genetically-modified plants sold as food.